Why We Watch Slasher Films

More than any other genre of film, horror is collectively defined in the public consciousness as one thing: the slasher film. The archetypes of the genre - the faceless killer, the survivor girl, the gore - come to mind in any discussion of horror. This is certainly an incorrect assessment of the horror genre, but there is a simple reason behind it. Whether we admit it or not, we are attracted to the slasher film.

The Unknown

Every day on the news, we are bombarded by details of crime. The events, the victims, and the depictions are real. But we sit through the grizzly details anyway. The news media believes them to be important, and we support that belief with viewership. There is no triumph in these reports unless the criminal is caught.

Slasher films force this reality upon a film audience. A killer goes on a murderous rampage against any person with no judgment of character. We are introduced to the victims, but the killer is who we focus on. Slasher films help demystify the criminal mindset in mainstream culture. We watch the crimes as they happen. We know what is causing them. We know how to avoid them. And, most importantly, we learn who did it. Slasher films leave no unsolved crimes in the mind of the audience. Unlike crime on the news, we know what really happened in slasher films. We see the victims, We see the crime. And we learn all we need to about the killer.

The slasher film takes the unknown element out of events that could happen in real life. Unsolved crimes leave us uneasy and angry. Slasher films may scare us, but they provide just enough evidence to let us know everything is right in the world.

The Forbidden

Murder is a crime. You can't just kill someone without facing due punishment in the end. Morally and legally, it is forbidden.

Slasher films let us all see this forbidden aspect of life. From the safety of a heavily padded seat, we get to watch the crime unfold. We feel the fear of the victim. We hear the imposing sound of the killer. We see the gory details of destroyed human flesh. We see the killer lose in the end. If the killer is not destroyed, at least one of the intended victims inevitably survives.

Part of the power of the slasher film is experiencing the forbidden without facing any of the consequences. We are safer in the movie theater than on the streets. We know that the killer can't possibly come for us next. We know that first person perspectives shots from the bushes are a victimless crime. What we see on the screen is not real.

Time and time again, we put our money on the counter to experience this forbidden side of life. We can safely participate in the crime without doing any time.

The Survivor

We all feel like victims at some point in life. There is that critical moment where we feel so abused that we begin to change. A bully in school, betrayal from a friend, a merciless co-worker - it happens to everyone eventually, We want so badly to move beyond this, we begin to take measures to survive.

Slasher films give us a survival outlet. We watch as the victims are picked off one by one, knowing exactly what should be done. We watch as other become victims while we, safe on the other side of the screen, survive. We like to think we will never fall to the same mistakes as the characters. We all know better. We experienced it ourselves. Sure, no seemingly invincible menace has chased us in our dreams and in real life, but that victimized moment felt like it. Against our better judgement, we gave that person the power in our minds. Their actions affected us in dreams and awareness.

Slasher films allow us to live through survival without being victimized. We relate to the experience, but we overcome it without any threat of real danger.

Conclusion

There will always be people who claim violence in movies is dangerous. They will claim only disturbed people can take any pleasure in celluloid murder. But there is far more to the allure of the slasher film than bloodlust. The sub-genre embodies the harsher side of reality - the ambiguous nature of crime, the cultural taboo of violence, the fear of victimization. Slasher films provide us with a safe haven for this kind of exploration. What we see on the screen can never hurt us. Just remember: it's only a movie.